Regional preference consists of a benefit granted by higher education institutions to some applicants who are given priority in accessing certain courses, based on their place of residence. Under this benefit, a certain percentage of the total available places is reserved for applicants from the university’s catchment area.

At the University of Algarve, all courses in the polytechnic education subsystem are covered by this benefit. However, applicants may only take advantage of it if the course is chosen in the 1st option and following, without interruption.

During the first stage of the application process, applicants from the catchment area set for each polytechnic higher education institution/course combination may be given preferential treatment.

The establishment/course combinations to which regional preferences apply, as well as the percentage of places effectively offered under the regional preference rule, are fixed by the educational establishment and are disseminated through the Higher Education Application Guide (to be made available soon).

• Proof of eligibility is demonstrated on the ENES Form, without the need for additional documents
• The regional preference is valid only in the first phase of applications

During the first phase of the application process, applicants who took one of the following courses can benefit from preferential access to polytechnic higher education institution/course combinations:

• Specialised artistic courses, vocational secondary education courses and vocational education courses
• Technological courses, specialised artistic courses and vocational secondary education courses
• Courses at vocational schools, equivalent to year 12 of secondary education
• Apprenticeship courses, equivalent to year 12 of secondary education
• Technological courses and artistic education courses
• Technical-vocational courses in secondary education
• Year 12 vocational courses

Consult the detailed information in the Higher Education Application Guide.

• Proof of eligibility is demonstrated on the ENES Form, without the need for additional documents
• The qualification preference is valid only during the phase of applications

The required documents must be submitted to the Office of Access to Higher Education at UAlg, for application of article 20-A, as well as the documents proving the grades obtained in said exams and the corresponding certificate equating the foreign secondary education taken to Portuguese secondary education. 

The required documents are as follows:

• Document proving that the applicant has successfully completed a course of non-Portuguese secondary education, indicating:

1. The final classification of this course
2. The marks obtained in the exams of the subjects of this course that are intended to be used in lieu of the Portuguese entrance exams

• Document proving the equivalence of the non-Portuguese secondary education course to a Portuguese secondary education course, issued by the legally competent authority for attribution of equivalence, including the final grade obtained by the applicant.

The documents referred to above must:

• Be issued by the home country's education authorities
• Be authenticated by the official education services of the respective country and recognised by the Portuguese diplomatic or consular authority or bear the Apostille of the Hague Convention. The same applies to translations of documents where the original language is not Spanish, French or English.